A Chance Encounter
by Fororn
Summary: AU. My own retelling of the relationship between Soma and Erina plus an extra meeting when they were kids. This will be non-canon but will follow the events of the anime up to after the Stagiare. For mature audiences only and will only include Soma X Erina because they are my favourite ship out of all anime. New to Fan Fiction so would appreciate constructive criticism. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1 - The Entrance Exam

**First Fan fiction being uploaded to this site. Hope you guys enjoy please PM me if you have any questions or critiques about my work :).**

 **This will be a story about my own twists on what I believe should have happened from start to where the anime is right now. I am a huge Sorina Shipper but I am partial to Alice and Megumi as I personally could see them together, in this story however I won't be making things up so Alice will not be into Soma in this Story but perhaps my next one? Side note; Most events will be canon except from very obvious changes in order to show a better understanding of Erina's character and how Soma has changed her through him being him.**

 **"_" Talking**

 **'_' Thinking**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS SHOWN IN THIS STORY. (I wish I did)**

* * *

When Soma Yukihira woke up one morning he had no idea how drastically the events of the day would affect the rest of his life, for one his father Joichiro Yukihira had told him that he was closing down the family shop and going to travel the world while Soma would be attending some fancy culinary place in Japan called Totsuki. He had been told by his dad that it was best for them if his son did not accompany him around the world and that the Academy would definitely be beneficial to his growing as a chef. Plus, it had the extra benefit of allowing his son to meet people his own age that are interested in cooking because let's face it, it's fine for a son to want to beat his dad but if he only learns from the competition how can he possible expect to overcome him? Anyway, this is getting ahead of ourselves here, lets go back to that fateful morning.

Waking up Soma Yukihira couldn't wait to open up the shop for today's customers. He had been working hard late into the night making special changed to some of his own personal dishes that he believed could finally lead to him to his first win over his father. Sitting up straight in bed letting the cover fall on his lap Soma raised his arms above his head linking them together and stretching his aching muscles. His fierce competitive spirit wasn't to be effected by his groaning muscles however as he quickly got up supressing a yawn that was fighting to escape his lips, as he did so he lifted himself out of bed landing on the hard wood floor with his feet planted firmly beneath him. He looked sideways to the full-body mirror strapped to his closet appraising his figure.

Soma never had considered himself to be scrawny nor too muscly, more like a comfortable mix that allowed him his diet that he needed to further his cooking aspirations. His short red hair was covering his deep golden eyes so he quickly moved his bangs out of the way to get a proper look at himself. It was always good to be confident he had always been told by his father so every morning Soma would wake up and look at himself in the mirror and then go about his day. This time however Soma felt something different in this eyes as he brushed the scarlet red mop of hair out of the way. He was never one to be overconfident but something had stopped him today. He saw for the first time that he now had a man's body so he decided to take a second look at himself, he stood tall on his feet with his back upright and his hair swept into their normal positions framing his face. His hands by his side made sure to show off his six pack he had achieved through countless days working in his family's diner, his face not bad looking but not pretty as some girls would have liked him, no he was more boyish that exuded a charm that was hard to describe it was almost as if he had been made in a factory somewhere to radiate warmth and comfort to anyone he met; following his gaze he could see that his legs were similar to his chest as in they were muscly enough to show off his seriousness but also calm enough to allow a moderate amount of comfort to be shown though his pyjama bottoms. Looking in between his legs however was an altogether different story, although the bottoms Soma had worn to bed last night were quite baggy to the point where he could barely see his toes there was still a prominent bump near his hips. All in all, Soma Yukihara was nearing his physical prime almost matching his father in looks he received on a daily basis from female customers.

After Soma concluded his inspection of his body and psyching himself up for the day he grabbed his two most precious belonging and his clothes proceeded to the bathroom to wash the sweat he had accumulated yesterday when working on his dishes and also to clean his shoes from the food that had stuck to them throughout the course of the day. After cleaning himself and getting changed into his classic clothes a black t-shirt that labelled him as a chef in the 'Yukihira Diner' and his pants he tied his ever present white cloth on his left arm and grabbed his second most precious thing he owned. While the white cloth had been given to him by his mother a women who Soma barely remembered his second belonging was much more pertinent to Soma himself, both things he owned had a similar past; both had been given to him from people of the opposite sex, both had been given by someone he could barely remember and both were always clean and always with him despite the curious looks that were given to him as he grew up. He grabbed this object and put it on his wrist, the words 'true love wins through' written on the wristband clearly presented to he world a clear meaning of "HE'S TAKEN" being shouted at the world for all to see.

"Yo" Soma shouted downstairs as he rode the banister down to his family diner, landing on the floor and walking to the kitchen. Opening the side door to the kitchen he saw something peculiar on the table near the cooking instruments, it was a letter addressed to him. Walking hesitantly over Soma shouted again to alert his father to his presence.

"Hello?" Soma shouted again hoping to see his father's head pop up from behind the counter and explain this weird occurrence. Unluckily no such luck as silence only answered his call. "hmmmmmmm" Soma sighed to himself 'maybe he already left then' Soma thought to himself as he started his normal routine ignoring the ominous letter sitting right next to him begging to be opened. His father had told him yesterday that he would be leaving that morning but Soma had hoped to challenge him to another cooking show-off or as his father had called them a 'Shokugeki'. While Soma had been good enough of a chef to dutifully help his father out at the diner and make sure the customers were always happy when they left the diner he had somehow never won against his father in any one of his Shokugekis. At this point Soma had lost 489 of them but as always he was looking forward to the next time swearing "I'll beat you next time".

As Soma continued his daily routine he noticed that the normal daily ingredients were gone, as well as some of his father's best cooking utensils, this and the fact that the door had a new sign on the front of the glass door led Soma to a couple of different explanations, one his father had left his son to test his ability to quickly work under pressure but Soma immediately discarded that thought as soon as he had it. His father already knew Soma was good enough and that his cooking was beyond what the diner would be able to handle or help develop so Soma could only think of one possible explanation.

Joichiro Yukihira was actually closing down the family diner.

Last night Soma and his father had a heated discussion which had ended when Joichiro had finally said if Soma could beat him in a Shokugeki he wouldn't close the diner. So Soma being Soma agreed thinking he could throw a curveball in his dad's face but ending up being destroyed by his father's cooking once again. Soma had been taking it seriously but he never would have thought his father actually would. Soma grabbed the letter and tore it open very animatedly earning himself a paper cut on his forefinger from his rash actions, of course Soma was used to the pain in his hand as he had always felt it when ever he messed up in the kitchen burning his hand or dropping some ingredients as he rushed to catch them he would nick himself on something to be crushed by said ingredients. Anyway as he opened the letter he couldn't believe his eyes.

* * *

 _Soma,_

 _I have left already and I assume you have finally realized that I wasn't kidding yesterday about the results of our Shokugeki, I will be going on a three year vacation travelling around the world and catching up with the world's latest cuisines. I will shut the shop and also send you money every few days to make sure you are okay financially. I know that you will be angry but please look at it this way, by me leaving I am giving you time to grow past the mold you have fit into these past few months. You have stagnated and I know the reason, you have learnt everything you can from me. I am therefore sending you to my old Academy called Totsuki. It is a great place where you will meet loads of people your age who enjoy cooking as much as you do. I do not want to hear that you have decided not to go because I know that this will be the best thing possible for you, also I have one more thing to add._

 _I will always be the better cook as long as you learn from me so this is the only way you will ever beat me or is my own son too scared of what might happen should he lose to someone else before he has had the chance to lose to me again for the 499th time?_

 _Finally should you decide that you aren't a chicken go to the academy tomorrow and you will have your entrance exam. Who knows? You might even meet your true love again?_

 _Also, taste the dish in the fridge if you want to see just how bad my last meal was before I left. Believe it's so bad I think it's worse than your squid with honey!_

 _Anyway goodbye Soma and have a good time at Totsuki_

 _489 time Yukihira winner Joichiro._

* * *

Soma couldn't believe it as he read over the letter again making sure he didn't mess up reading it, his own father was calling him out! 'that's it, I'm gonna destroy him the next time we meet he won't believe how wrong he was to doubt my skills' Soma angrily thought to himself, 'I'm going to this preppy place and I'll destroy them all to become number one'. Closing his eyes and clenching his fist he made sure to firm his resolve before throwing the letter away, no way was he going to read it again it was burnt into his mind already he didn't more motivation to go. After declaring himself ready he then went to the refrigerator opening it up he was assaulted by a most noxious smell. There were literal stink lines leaving the fridge making Soma's ears tear up and his nose to shrivel trying to hide from the pervasive smell that assaulted him.

'He was right' Soma thought to himself as he picked up the plate and took off the cover 'this is definitely worst than my squid with honey'. After taking a deep breath and taking a bite Soma felt an explosion of horror as his tongue was utterly left hanging in the tastes department. Coughing and forcing himself to swallow the offending piece of food he couldn't help but let his mind wander as he thought back on the girl that had given him the wristband, she had also been given the same one by him and thinking back to what the letter said Soma couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect at seeing the girl again if she did indeed go to Totsuki. Unbeknownst to Soma he started blushing unconsciously and smiling with one of his award-winning grins as he remembered her.

They were only 6 at the time but Soma had felt an instant liking to the girl, she had beautiful blonde hair and she had such a interesting name but he couldn't remember for the life of him what it was. What really struck Soma and what made him keep the wristband on his wrist was two things, first she had been his first and only love he had ever had and he remembered that meeting her was really one of the best experiences of his life. Being a young chef herself they both instantly had connected on a mental level but after spending some time together they connected on a more deeper level. That leads us to the second reason Soma had kept the wristband.

Her eyes, the colour of a deep violet had transfixed him as had set his golden ones onto them, they seemed to pierce him as he met them but that's not what was the most striking feature about them. It was the fire he had seen pop up in her eyes as she had stared at him and him at her, just by looking into them Soma felt as if they were in their own little world and nothing could touch them. When they had first met her eyes seemed to make his little 6 year old heart beat so fast he could've sworn he was about to explode. She was and always would be first love and his first and only person who had ever made Soma Yukihira stop in place and stare at someone getting lost in the deep swirls of their eyes. Now switch to Soma of the present his feelings for her hadn't diminished but rather had blossomed into something akin to longing, but the only problem for Soma was the fact that he couldn't remember her name or her nickname. He also couldn't remember where they had met but his father had said that it was at a birthday party for some rich culinary expert and couldn't get the details from his mind.

With her on his mind Soma stood up almost jumping from his reverie when he refocused on his surroundings, it was at least midday now and Soma realized he had been reminiscing about her for more than a few hours now, so he went about his business and started walking back to his room after making himself some breakfast. Sighing slightly as Soma reached his room he knew that he would never meet her again but even so he would keep the wristband with him at all times just in case. With no more things to do after packing his bag Soma then went down the stairs and started to work on his secret dishes, the ones he had been working on for the past few months to compete with his father getting lost in them as he allowed himself to get lost in his work whizzing around the kitchen tasting his work then resetting and going again. It was truly a sight to behold when Soma Yukihira was in the kitchen as anyone could see that he loved his work and that he was truly a master at making his own original pieces.

That was how Soma spent the rest of his day and night and before he knew it, it was already time for bed. Walking back upstairs and taking a bath to get rid of the grime he had accumulated from working in the kitchen Soma changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed. Seconds before he closed his golden eyes his last few thoughts were of the girl of his dreams the one with the fire in her soul and the violet in her eyes.

* * *

"ughhhhhhh"Soma groaned as he woke up to the sound of his phone ringing, he groggily got up out of his bed and picked up his phone which he had left on the other side of the room charging overnight. "Hello?" Soma questioned the person who was crazy enough to call him so early in the day.

"Are you there yet?" Soma could hear his dad's voice on the other end of the call in a worried voice. It was then that Soma snapped out of his grogginess and remembered where he was meant to be at midday today.

"It's so early why I would be there already?" Questioned Soma back in a biting tone as he made his way over to the window opening his blinds to be greeted with a beautiful midday sun cresting the horizon. Suddenly it dawned on Soma that perhaps he was maybe only slightly in the wrong as he looked over his shoulder and the clock situated above his door and seeing the two hands of fate point to the time of...

"It's 11:20!" Soma shouted down his phone already flinging off his clothes into a hamper and rushing to his closet.

"Yes it is now get a move on!" Joichiro shouted down the phone realizing his son had only now woken up and knowing this fact he hung up as he left a parting comment "good luck today".

"Thanks Dad, I'll be sure to beat you next time" Soma shouted as he threw his phone across the room into his open bag whilst getting changed into his clothes, he haphazardly flung his bag out the window of his room onto the street below next to his moped.

"shit shit shit" Soma kept repeating, although he wasn't altogether excited for the academy he knew the opportunities it would offer especially the chance to improve enough to finally beat his father so he didn't want to be late for his first official appearance as a chef. He flew down the stairs in his clothes with his coat billowing out behind him as he grabbed his keys from the key bowl next to the door. Finally locking the door behind him Soma took a quick look at the clock outside the bento shop next door which read 11:30.

Realizing Soma only had a half hour to get to school he jumped on his moped and turned it on as fast as possible, remembering the instructions he had received last night from the google maps application on his phone Soma knew he would have to try his best to get there on time even maybe break a few rules along the way. Now, Soma was never a boy to 'follow the norm' but he never purposely broke a rule for the sake of breaking it so he knew that it's be fine for him to do it this time. Finally hearing the purr of his engine Soma squeezed into his flaming red helmet to match his red hair and shot off through the shopping market.

After racing through the streets at speeds only known to racer car drivers Soma finally arrived at Totsuki Academy and this is where Soma realized something, his father had once again neglected to mention something. Totsuki was absolutely gigantic! As he put down the brake on his moped Soma looked around the parking lot to see lots of really fancy limousines and personal cars parked next to each other as young rich kids got out with their aides carrying their personal bags.

'another thing dad forgot to mention' Soma sighed to himself as he grabbed his bag and stored his helmet in the compartment located in his moped 'this place is incredibly prestigious'. Soma never really enjoyed the company of snotty kids so upon realizing that he would have to spend the next few years of his life with these people who have never had to serve the 'lower classes' he became apprehensive about the academy until he remembered his reasons to come here.

So setting off again Soma started picking up pace allowing people to stare as a red headed boy ran full pelt down the walkways of Totsuki obviously in a rush to get somewhere, he took a quick glance at on the many clocks around the academy and saw the time was now 11:57. He glanced at the board as he finally arrived at student information centre and saw his room was thankfully not far in room 217. Turning around to leave out the door Soma couldn't help but hear some of the less than nice people comment on his appearance and so as he turned the corner away from prying eyes he did a quick adjustment of his clothes, he saw his shirt clinging to his heaving muscles with sweat and so he hoped they wouldn't deny entry because of his proclivities or his appearance. Anyway, as Soma finally finished his adjustments and clearing his brow of sweat he quickly arrived at room 217 only to hear the final words spoken by his examiner.

"if you can create a satisfactory meal using only an egg as your main ingredient and have it be at least up to scratch to Totsuki standards I will allow you to pass" Soma slipped in behind his fellow entrance hopefuls in order to silently arrive and not call attention to himself. "I will give you one minute to decide if you would like to try your hand and at the end if you remain you will be forced to make your dish". Soma heard his examiner's voice call out from the front of the classroom. It was a nice voice but laced with venom as if the person using it was almost mocking the people in the room and making them shrink back unconsciously. Although it was not an overly strong voice he heard call out from the front of the room Soma could tell that the woman who owned this voice was extremely talented and was used to having people listen to her orders.

Upon hearing her challenge everyone in the room sprinted out the now rapidly diminishing room full of entrance hopefuls. Soma seeing this was confused as to why everyone was running out so he grabbed not forcefully but enough to hold them in place a young boy with snivelling eyes and asked him why.

"Why is everyone running away?" Soma enquired the young boy who looked at him with wide eyes almost as if he was about to suffer a fate worse than death.

"That's Erina Nakiri! The God's Palate!" the boy yelled attempting to tear himself out of Soma's strong grip on his arm. "She's a ruthless person and she is impossible to please, Give up!" The young boy finally wriggled out of Soma's grip when he threw himself out the door. Soma almost made to grab him again but the boy had run off with his fellow entrance hopefuls. Shacking his head in silent wonder Soma turned around and for the first time he saw the examiner.

She was absolutely stunning, her long golden locks fanning out behind her trailing down her Totsuki uniform until finally ending their journey down by curling into little flicks at the tips of her hair to rest against the small of her back. The second thing Soma noticed about her was the way some strands of her hair had somehow ended up framing her face by curling inwardly into her rosy cheeks. Her body was transfixing, her long shapely legs being accuented by the tights she had chosen to wear that day and the skirt that was still modest and protecting her dignity while also allowing people and more than likely men become amazed by her. Her tight Totsuki uniform she wore also showed off her bust easily and allowed Soma's imaginative side take over to wonder just how well endowed she really was. Shaking his head to clear these perverted images he took a quick look at her eyes which were covered by her hands as she had used them to pinch her forehead in frustration as she saw the entire room empty after her proclamation, she then turned around and made to leave with her purple/pink haired aide. That was what she intended to do until she saw a pair of shoes planted firmly still in the room pointed straight at her.

"Oh, do we have a challenger?" Erina queried as she turned around to see just who was so confident that they could make a dish that would satisfy her, the God's Palate. Upon hearing this her aide also turned around to see a boy still standing their with a absolutely bewildered look upon his face. The boy standing there was staring quite pointedly at her mistress and so she yelled at the boy to snap out of it.

"Hey, when Erina Nakiri the God's Palate asks you a question you must answer it" Hisako yelled, whilst also pointing at her mistress and turning to look at her face and there on her own mistress's face was an expression almost to match the boy's own. She looked shell-shocked and the boy did too. They both were staring into each other's eyes, not even moving, not even breathing as if to do so would be to break this moment they had created.

'It can't be there's no way, absolutely not' Soma's mind raced at breakneck speeds to examine everything about the young lady in front of him, she had her obvious looks and fierce posture but when she had turned around Soma had seen two things, first the fire in her eyes and the way her violet seemed to make Soma want to sink to his knees. Second thing he noticed was the wristband she had around her wrist. Soma flicked his golden eyes into her violet ones with a questioning look and he raised his right hand to show his own wristband off to her.

Erina on the other hand was staring completely into his eyes not even noticing the movement of his hand as she was locked into a fierce battle within herself and his deep pools of gold that seemed to tempt her to sink slowly and sensually into them. ' No way absolutely no way' Erina thought to herself, 'He can't be, but he must be'. She then looked at the hand the red haired boy had proffered to her that held the one thing that was a lock in her memory. She raised her own hand as she searched for the boy of her dreams in his eyes. Her heart racing she moved closer to him and held his right hand on her own as they matched the wristbands to the other. Both had the same words written on the other and as she looked up she noticed just quite how deep those golden eyes were, they seemed to widen as they both stared silently into each other's eyes.

"Hello again" Soma said shakily as his voiced managed to find itself in before continuing, " It's been awhile" he said as he moved his left hand to grasp the back of her hair and pull her closer to him. He stared into her eyes as he smiled his signature grin, allowing Erina to flood with happy memories and warm emotions that seemed to spring out of nowhere warming her from the inside.

"It is you then?" Erina asked hopefully with a gleam in her eyes and tears forming in the corners "I thought I'd never see you again" She said quietly whilst losing her battle to hold back the tears. She felt his eyes pour his emotions into her and she gasped as she felt the longing behind his gaze and the happiness he felt at just being close to her again.

"Yeah and I thought I'd never see you again" Soma replied whilst bowing his head so he could connect their foreheads together and finally reconnect again after all these years. "Luckily we were both wrong" Soma added whilst wiping the away her tears with his left hand removing her from his embrace to slow down his beating heart. He couldn't believe it! The girl of his dreams was here again after all these years and she was still wearing the band as well.

Letting go of her hand, allowing them to compose themselves and calm down Soma stepped away and looked back at her. Both Erina and Soma realizing the intimacy they had just exhibited quickly blushed beetroot red especially as they remembered that they hadn't seen each other since they were 6 years old. Erina after being released by Soma looked at him a question forming in her head. She steeled her heart and held onto hope that the answer to her next question would be yes, she didn't know whether or not her heart could take it of he forgot. Already she had enough negative feelings in her life for a lifetime's worth but just this once she didn't know if she could handle it this time. Soma looked at her after recovering from the shock of the encounter and noticed she seemed different somehow, like she was putting on a fake face; the same one he had seen at the party all those years ago, he knew that the next few seconds could determine the rest of his life and he wasn't sure how he would be able to handle it when he heard her voice.

"Hey do you remember what you promised me all those years ago?" Erina asked keeping her face devoid of any emotion not allowing even a single emotion cross her face even thought they were raging inside of her at the present moment screaming to be let out and make her yell and scream and cry but she held on to the only emotion she had rarely felt in her life. Hope.

Soma upon hearing this immediately remembered to what she was talking about mainly because he had lived his whole life since then with two goals in his mind, the first to beat his father and surpass him and the second while close to the first was more personal and less like a goal because it was in it's essence not a goal but as she said a promise. He nodded and smiled his signature grin at her watching as a flash of her previous affections came to the fore and crashed against her eyes and he saw once again the passion only Soma Yukihira could bring out in Erina Nakiri. Still with her previous demeanour splayed on her face but this time with a small fire ignited in her violet eyes Erina raised an eyebrow issuing an unspoken question to him. He grinned then and nodded his head allowing his red hair to bounce excitedly at the upcoming prospect of fighting against her and for her at the same time once again like he did so many years ago.

"Let's do this" Soma took off his white cloth that was on his left arm and wrapped it around his forehead to keep the sweat out off his eyes and allowing him to enter his zone. Erina stood aside as he walked over to the counter checking out his behind as he did so. Seeing him start his routine at cooking Erina couldn't help but remember what had happened years and years ago.

 _Flashback_

* * *

 _Erina was a young girl aged six when she had been invited to some fancy culinary expert's place with her parents to attend his birthday party. Erina's father had forced her to attend the ball and since she had no way to say no as he had a hold on her that was almost as if she was a slave to his whims. She had been so spineless back then due to her father's extreme measures he went to ensure his daughter's perfection, it was something many would call excessive but this still didn't stop him from continuing this brand of parenting even when it was painfully obvious that he was doing more harm than good. So here she was at six years old with a empty look in her eyes and a drop in her shoulders attending the party when all of a sudden she smelt food being cooked from the kitchen, normally this wouldn't have had this effect on her due to her need for perfection in her life and no chef had ever been able to do that but she for some reason walked to the kitchen to see just who had created this perfect blend of aromas. Her mouth salivating at the thought of food that had the perfection she wanted she walked in and saw a red haired man cooking an unknown dish on the stove. She looked up at him and saw his nametag. Already Erina couldn't help but feel like this man was something else, he stood tall and he looked like a man who knew what he was doing even if he wasn't 100% focused on the meal at hand._

 _"Joichiro" She said out loud and upon hearing this the man turned around to see who had called him. He couldn't see anyone and as he turned back to his stove he saw a blonde haired girl standing there with a little sundress on the colour of white staring up at him with lifeless violet eyes with something else mixed in, maybe it was the way she looked up at him like he wasn't truly there or maybe it was her face that seemed to hold no emotions but whatever it was it broke his heart and he knew immediately that this girl was the one and only Erina Nakiri. The one with the God's Palate but more importantly the one whose childhood seemed to have been ripped from her hands and torn to shreds. He knew what he needed to do as he had only seen this once before on his own face after his wife had died until his son had managed to reignite his passion for cooking. So he bent down and sitting on his hind legs squatting he stared at her for such a long time that she wondered if he had fallen asleep despite the way his eyes seemed to bore into her._

 _Erina meanwhile was slightly perturbed by the way this chef was staring at her as if she was the most important thing in the whole world. She had no idea why he had stopped what he was doing, she was used to being brushed aside by chefs in their kitchens until they had realised who she was and bowed to her as a lower being but this man wasn't doing that instead he was facing her as an equal and giving her a look that said 'don't be sad, you are needed'. That was when she started to wonder just who he was apart from being Joichiro. She could see that he had a caring face and also a loving gaze but she also knew he must be a good chef to be here and making food for her and the rest of the guests. This seemed strange to little Erina as until this exact moment the only person who ever treated as an equal was her father and he always made sure to keep his emotions away whenever he had any interaction with his daughter, so when this man who was undoubtedly a good chef had stopped what he was doing and started to pour his emotions in she started to feel something deep inside her lifeless soul screaming to be heard but knowing it never would. Breaking out of her daydream she saw a wooden spoon appear in front of her face that had the meal he had been making on it. She looked at the man and knew he was waiting for her to taste it so she started s_ _melling the food and grabbed the spoon and put in her mouth the God's Palate kicking into high gear and was assaulted by perfection. The food this man had made was Nirvana, perfection absolutely outstanding she thought, she was about to ask this man who he was and how he had done this she heard him shout out to the other side of the kitchen._

 _"Oi Soma come here" The man shouted over his shoulder as a young boy who appeared to be the same age as her walked in holding a mixing bowl himself and preparing what looked to be a tiramisu. Even though she was used to seeing boys her age she never noticed them because they all had the same dejected look in their eyes so when she saw the boy with his blazing red hair she knew immediately he was different, not just that but he also seemed to be this man's son. What made Erina so enraptured though were his eyes. They were golden but the true secret lay in the fire she saw in them the same fire she had seen in his father's eyes and again her soul screamed for air but was unable to get out but maybe just maybe she was close to finally letting out her emotions, controlling herself though as a member of the Nakiri household she looked again at him,he looked to be in his element with a white cloth tied around his forehead and making food as if they was nothing more amazing than cooking, truly he was a sight to behold for young Erina._

 _"yeah what is it pops, I'm making the dessert here!" the boy replied shouting over the din of the kitchen not even noticing the girl that was standing right there until his father pointed to her while going back to his work. "This is Erina Nakiri and she needs you to make her something" Joichiro ordered his son._

 _"But why, I'm doing someth-" the boy stopped in his tracks staring at her eyes which seemed to almost be lifeless and blazing with affection at the same time he knew she was different and he also saw something in her eyes which made him angry this young girl standing in front of him had the same eyes his father had after his wife had died, they both were lifeless and devoid of emotion as if to once again combat them would break them. It crushed Soma's soul and so he vowed to find out why she was this way. Their eyes met as she finally looked back at him, they both stared into the other's eyes, her into his golden ones and him into their violet ones. Suddenly Joichiro pushed her forward towards him "This is my son Soma" he said "he'll take care of you". with an extra meaning hidden for his son who looked at him with a look of such unbridled rage and anger that Joichiro had to stop what he was doing and shake his head ever so slightly to calm his son down, the only other time he had seen his son act this way was when he had almost stopped cooking and given up but then he met those eyes and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was Joichiro the one and only._

 _Erina on the other hand couldn't believe her eyes, this boy was amazing even though she wouldn't admit to herself or to her soul. He was the same age as her and was making her dessert which meant he had to be quite talented but she had never heard of either of them before. She decided she needed to know more._

 _"Hey Soma, mind letting me taste what you are making?" Erina asked while walking with Soma to his station but before she could walk any further she felt less than saw a figure appear in the doorway to the kitchen. It was the one man who had absolute control over her; her father. She stopped walking and this made Soma turn around and see her stand there not moving at all with her eyes once again lifeless and her struggling emotions kept under wraps, this sight was something he would never forgot, it was the look of someone expecting a punishment and not caring about their wellbeing, Soma had always been a wild child, his emotions were something he never hid and so when he saw her put hers down like embers he felt his rage come back in full force, he knew without a shadow of a doubt this girl needed his help and by god was he going to give it._

 _"Come here Erina" Her father stated as if there was no other alternative either she walked back to him like a faithful hound or he would hurt her. Soma looked up and saw her turn around and walk to him before he had had enough. he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him whilst spinning her around and staring at her with absolute fire and absolute passion burning him inside. Erina who had never disobeyed her father in her life was surprised to say the least that he had stopped her so when she sae the look in his eyes and the fire that threatened to engulf him she felt for the first time again something, Erina felt hope. Simple and utter hope. The same hope that had been ripped from her by the same man that stood now beckoning her to him. She for the first time had something other than lifelessness in her eyes but rather the one thing he had been able to bring out of his father and now her. It was pure unadulterated hope that he would save her from the personal hell she was experiencing everyday and when she looked up at him again with these eyes she saw a flicker of something cross his eyes as well. Pain. She had made him feel pain for one the first times in his life, he knew then that this girl this Erina Nakiri was his responsibility to make better, he would make certain she was cared for and that she never felt the pain in her soul ever again even if he had to do something drastic. Something like stand up to her father._

 _"No she won't be coming there" Soma yelled as he looked away from Erina with the passion and fire of a thousand suns quenching all self control inside him. He was the one who would make absolute certain she was okay and so he stared at her dad with his eyes of gold._

 _"hahahah come now boy you don't expect her to listen to you?" Her father queried back with a sneer on his face until he saw the look on the young boy's face, it rooted him to the spot and made him stop in his tracks. This boy had never felt this emotion before so he couldn't name it but we know it as hatred. he had hatred at the father for making his daughter this way but most importantly he had hatred against the world for making this poor girl feel like she wasn't a person and more like a tool to be used._

 _"I said no" Soma replied glaring with everything he had trying to make him see with his eyes that he wasn't messing around. " I said no" He repeated while looking down at her again and he saw her tears. The tears that she had held in for so long and the emotions that had stayed behind the iron wall she had built around herself came flooding back in. He saw that Erina Nakiri had finally stopped seeing herself as a tool and seeing herself as the mess she was._

 _Coming back to his senses Erina's father looked down at the boy again and saw his eyes looking intently at his daughter with a look that said that he understood and felt her pain too. It was in this instant that he saw himself as what the boy did, a monster. He looked inside himself and saw what only very few people saw; a concerned father but also a perfectionist. He wanted a perfect daughter and so he had made her what he wanted, someone the whole world would look up to from her boots as they fought for her attention. He wanted her to become the "God's Palate" and so that's what she had become. He saw for the first time what he had done and felt shame and anger and sadness and guilt but he wouldn't back down. He couldn't._

 _"Come now boy do you really think you can take me on?" Soma looked back at him and saw what was happening in his mind, he would for sure destroy her if he left with her and so he did the one thing he could do. He closed his eyes and quelled his doubts and upon opening them he had a new look upon his face, not anger, not sadness, not a crazed look but rather one that was completely aligned with what we would call the face of perfection. He had the perfect mix of sadness, hope, desire, anger, hatred, happiness but the overwhelming feeling that was evident was love. He felt it deep in his soul when he had seen Erina at first and upon realising how strong she must have been to endure this torment he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was the one for him. She was his one and only and he would make damn sure she was no longer a slave to her father._

 _"I challenge you to a Shokugeki" Soma declared while pointing at Erina's father with his left hand the hand that held onto his mother's love for him._

 _"You will relinquish all claim to your daughter and stay away from her for as long as you are this way" Soma said strangely calmly a complete opposite from before when he had been unable to control his emotions like a normal 6 year old but now his voice had an extra thing in it that made Erina's father stop from denying it outright. It was utter self-confidence he heard and in that instant he felt the future that would change the moment he said yes and laid bare his wants or said no and denied himself his own chance at fame and glory._

 _A moment hung in the air before Joichiro asked "What say you, yes or no?" Joichiro had been listening to the conversation and was about to say absolutely not until he had seen his son's face and the strength of his words and in that instant he saw his son as someone who could change the world for the one he loved. He knew not to stop this and instead felt the air change to the way his son had grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. he also could see the looks Erina were giving Soma and knew that this was more than just a 6 year olds emotions running rampant but rather a mature and controlled boy who knew what to do and when to do it._

 _Erina couldn't believe what was happening, she had seen this boy go from an angry demon ready to rip the world asunder at her bidding to a controlled young boy who held the future of the world in his hands. She had just been flooded with the emotions of her lifetime that she had kept under wraps but now she had them she wouldn't lose them and for some reason she felt safe with this boy. She felt like he would go to the ends of the world if it meant that she would be happy. She felt her heart flutter for the first time in her life and she knew what that meant. She loved this boy and she knew he loved her too. It's a strange sensation being loved by someone you just met and loving them back. It gave her a strength to stop crying and stop shaking as she held herself still with her churning emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She had heard his proclamation and his words and felt herself almost want to stop it to spare herself from the loss of the emotion if he lost but somehow she knew this boy would never lose this battle, he would never lose the most important battle of his lifetime. So she grabbed his hand and stood beside him not as people separate but rather as one great big beast of power that would destroy anyone who tried to hold them back and stop them from being together. Love is a complex emotion but Erina knew that she had it even if it wasn't easy to identify._

 _"Yes I will accept your challenge boy" her father answered Soma and Joichiro" but in return I want you to never see my daughter again either" he had seen the looks both Soma and Erina had exchanged and knew that this boy would end her perfect aura and she would become 'human' once again. That was something that couldn't happen._

 _The events of this day would never be recorded anywhere on paper but for the seven people that were present for the impromptu Shokugeki between Soma Yukihira and Erina's father it would never leave their memories. It would be the moment a boy became a man way before his time and a machine became a woman way before her time._

 _After the Shokugeki ended the father left Nakiri and went on his own to places unknown while Soma Yukihira became a legend in the minds of the seven. At the end of the day Erina remembered the final farewell Soma and her shared before he left. He had made his promise and she had given him three things, a wristband she had made during the Shokugeki, a kiss on the cheek and a promise of her own. Unluckily for both this was a long time ago and so she had come to forget the boy but not her feelings for him nor the promise they had made, she also remembered his golden eyes and his red hair whilst all he could remember was her blonde hair and her deep violet eyes that had exploded with fire and passion the moment she had been freed from her father's clutches._

* * *

"Excuse me miss" Hisako queried as to the expression her mistress had been making for the past few minutes as Soma had worked on his dish. "Are you okay" she had noticed the red tint her mistress's face had acquired and the look in her eyes. Whoever this guy was they seemed to have a connection that was more than just friends. This came as quite a shock to the aide as she had never seen Erina like this, she was always so independent and strong and remorseless when reviewing dishes but now she seemed as if she was, in love? Hisako's eyes widened as she realised just who this man was. He was the young boy who had cooked on behalf of her and made her his one and only.

Taking another glance over to the boy behind the stove she saw the mesmerising way he whizzed about the kitchen with practised ease and grace, she saw a man and not a boy anymore, his hair was red as the other Nakiri cousin's eyes and his body was to die for, his strong defined muscles rippled underneath his clothes and his grin had stayed plastered on his face. The most prominent feature was his eyes however as they danced around the kitchen with a gaze that screamed that he was doing what he loved and as she watched him work she couldn't help but let her heart flutter and become slightly jealous at the thought that he was taken. This surprised her as she was never one to be jealous, for one she had always only had eyes and ears for her mistress and making sure she was okay so this new emotion threw her for a tizzy until she remembered her place and her question to her mistress.

"I'm fine, I am finally whole" Erina whispered to herself and to Hisako with a happy expression on her face that seemed to be content and wanting more at the same time. She was undoubtedly in love with Soma Yukihira and for the first time in her life Hisako realised that she wasn't the only person in the world who had managed to make her mistress happy, in fact this man had made her more happy than Hisako ever could and this was the jealousy she felt. Coming to terms with this new information she lent down to Erina and whispered in her ear.

"I am happy he has returned to you mistress and I think he feels the same way too" Erina turned to her aide with a heavy red on her cheeks and in a whispered voice asked back " What are you talking about? it's been ages since then, how do you know he still likes me?" Erina looked up at Hisako with hopeful eyes and worried ones at that.

"Because it was like a scene from one of those mangas you read mistress." Hisako replied "He was speechless the entire time he was in here until you guys held hands" Hisako could see her friend's eyes lighting up from her words. " If I was you though, I would talk to him after we are done here, I will take care of the rest of today's appointments so please reconnect with him". Erina nodded slowly and thanked her friend as Hisako left the room to call the appointments before seeing a plate covered by a silver dome being placed in front of her.

"This is Yukihira diner number 8 dish, **Transforming Furikake Gohan!"** Soma yelled as he pulled off the silver covering to show the plate he had made. It was an egg dish and so it counted, Erina couldn't believe her eyes, he was trying to enter using a commoner meal? She looked up and saw the passion in his eyes and decided to trust him as she had done once before, she picked up the spoon and dipped it into the dish. She could see the golden egg droplets mix with the rice and she held her breath as she plunged the spoon into her mouth, immediately it was like she back in that kitchen and she could see the young boy that used to be being replaced by the young man that was in front of her now. She couldn't believe it and so she took another bite and more and more and more until she eventually finished her bowl; a fact she didn't realise until her spoon scrapped the bottom of the bowl in front of her. She sat back in confusion, usually she would be able to remember the exact taste but this time she couldn't, her taste buds had been overpowered and she had been in food nirvana. She looked up into his eyes and saw in them the passion that been missing in her life since she had met him those many years ago.

Standing up suddenly Erina grabbed Soma and leaned in to him over the counter to feel his hot breath and closing her eyes whilst letting her hair fall down and frame her face. Soma replied in kind and though surprised by the sudden show of affection leaned in as well and met her halfway, he had waited for this moment for half his life and now that it was here he wanted it more than anything else in the world in fact he was very close to doing the same to her the second he knew it was her. Their lips collied in a symphony of emotions and feelings as their lips continued their battle for dominance. Her breath heavy and her tongue hanging out as they disconnected Erina was flushed in red and her eyes were tinted in a passionate explosion of feelings, she wanted him nay needed him and she needed him now. Before she could make her move however she felt Soma leap over the counter landing beside her and he picked her up by her thighs and setting her down on the table whilst feeling his hot breath on her neck and face, as he placed her down he grabbed her waist and pulled her in for another kiss this one more heated than the last as she felt him bite her lower lip and lick her upper one she smiled and as she did so allowed Soma entry into her mouth. His tongue battling her for control of her own mouth they felt and tasted each other's saliva dripping down their throats and as they had they party upstairs Erina wrapped her legs around Soma's waist thus trapping his body against hers as they battled for absolute control allowing their multitude of emotions run rampant in each other's physical needs. Her breasts pushed up against him he could feel her hard nipples poke him in his well-defined chest area and she could feel his swelling member press lightly against her own connecting nether regions. They were connected and were whole for once again in their lives they knew this is where they both belonged and would never be anywhere else. She could feel her body heat up in anticipation and a small knot had formed in their stomachs expressing their need to be satisfied by the only person who could in the entire world.

As Erina started to moan heavily and her head hung back as she felt Soma kiss and lick her neck she felt their connecting saliva on her chin and down the neck. It was only when Hisako coughed upon re-entering the room did the two young lovers realise just how inappropriate this actually was. They quickly disconnected and wiped their mouths and straightened their clothes while giving each other a knowing look.

"I've got to go now Soma" Erina started trying to calm her beating heart " I've got some more tastings to do today and so we can't. Today I mean" Erina added and stated with a look that said maybe not now but later.

"It's okay, I think we should talk anyway before anything else happens" Soma replied as his swelling member finally died down in his pants. " I'm sorry I was too caught in my emotions Erina" Soma said before bowing ever so slightly to give her the option of rebuking him.

Erina looked down at the bowed figure of Soma and told him to lift his head, after doing so she walked over to him and kissed him once, longingly and sensually and for a long enough period that when they disconnected the thin piece of saliva that connected them was back she then said "You bow to no one Soma, not even to me" Erina grabbed his hand and thrust his wristband in his face before letting his hand fall.

"We are and always will be one so don't you dare sell yourself short because if you do you'll never get me to say that your cooking is better" she added with a wink before turning around and walking away to her waiting aide.

"Now I'm ready" Soma smiled with his grin and with a knowing look in his eyes as he knew that she was still waiting for him to absolutely blow her away with his cooking.

"Next time you'll say it for sure!" Soma shouted before grabbing his bag and leaving the room after giving Erina a quick peck on her cheek and slipping her a piece of paper.

Leaving the room Erina watched as Soma sauntered down the hall untying his white cloth from his forehead and wrapping it back around his left arm before walking back to the student information centre.

"Miss, why did you tell him that you had more appointments later today?" Hisako enquired after her friend as she had already cancelled them as Erina and Soma had their little make out session.

"Because he needs to know that I am the one in charge and that I have an image to uphold" Erina replied. "Plus, I don't want to go too far so early on" Erina added with a wink as she sighed and turned to walk in the opposite direction that Soma went to get back to her own house (if house is the right word). Hisako with a blush on her cheeks walked after her mistress before muttering under her breath " Soma Yukihira, you better take responsibility". Little did she know that Erina heard what she said and that it excited her about what the future may hold for the two young lovers.

Only when she felt something in her had did Erina feel truly whole once again after all these years. She saw a square of paper that looked to be over 10years old at least that said simply "She is mine and I am hers".

* * *

 **A/N**

 **First Fan-Fic please tell me if this was any good? First chapter was kinda hard for me beacause couldn't remember exactly some details so I winged some of them such as the room number and whether or not Soma owned a Moped. Please read and review if you want, also tell me something I need to improve or if I messed up some parts lol. Will be updating each chapter as time goes on. Will be looking for about 50,000 words or maybe more, not entirely sure yet but will see.**


	2. Getting Settled

**Second chapter of my fan fiction between Soma and Erina, this will cover the entrance ceremony and also Soma's first night at Polar Star Dormitories. As always have fun reading :).**

 **"_"Talking**

 **'_' Thinking**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS SHOWN IN THIS STORY. (I wish I did)**

* * *

After leaving room 217 Soma quickly left to go to the student administration centre to get details about his accommodation as well as things he might need to bring along with him from home since he was going to start living here in the dorms and not at home as it would take too long to get to and from school everyday if he did intend to stay at home. As he continued walking down the hallway Soma couldn't help but feel elated at being reunited with Erina after all these years, it had been so long since then he had been worried she might have forgotten him or even worse had fallen in love with someone else. It was these thoughts that had plagued Soma as he had been living with his dad at their diner but he couldn't bring himself to say the words out loud lest he tempt fate and she moved, but now that he finally met her again he was over the moon with joy, she hadn't forgotten him! She was still in love with him and had even had his first kiss and she could have had more had Hisako not stopped them, he couldn't help but imagine what may lay underneath that uniform she was wearing. As his mind wandered he found himself at the student centre with a noticeable red tint on his cheeks as if his thoughts could be read from outside his mind.

"Hello?" Soma asked the lady at the front desk" I was wondering if there was any student accommodation on campus I could stay at?" The lady upon hearing his voice looked up from her desk only to see the same boy that had been sprinting through the building not even an hour ago. She started blushing as she remembered the state of his clothes when he had arrived and what they left to the imagination which wasn't much. Coughing to make the lady answer him Soma asked again.

"Of course, the only place available at the moment is, give me a second..." She answered as she perused the computer until finding the only one with vacancies, in fact the only one she found was a place called "Polar Star Dormitories" she mentioned as she gave him his student ID and map of the school.

"Thank you" Soma replied with his cheesy grin as he turned around and walked out to get back home.

Unbeknownst to the two of them there had been a third person listening in to their conversation, in fact it was one of the seven who had been there so many years ago the only one of the seven who had blood red eyes. "Fu fu fu" she snickered to herself as she had finished up with her duties there, "So he has finally arrived, Joichiro he looks so much like you".

* * *

It was the day of the Entrance Ceremony and the sun was above them all shining on the days proceedings as if it had chosen this day to shine particularly bright or maybe the ozone layer was particularly thin that day. This was a fact all of the students and faculty had noticed and although it brought some happiness to some to others it brought nothing but sunburn, sweat and uncomfortable clothes that seemed to droop off their body. It was such with Megumi Tadakoro who had been out there all day arriving early to ensure that she would miss nothing important but so far no one had even started talking on the stage. There were the usual suspects up there like the teachers of Totsuki and some upperclassmen but this was special it seemed this year because the director of Totsuki himself had decided to attend the entrance ceremony and give a speech which was highly unusual. Megumi couldn't help but wonder what he would be talking about because even though the entire year had arrived to the ceremony as it was compulsory it wasn't necessarily important enough to warrant a visit from the man himself.

Megumi wasn't a bad person at least that's what her fellow dorm mates always told her since she started here but she wasn't a good chef, she had grown up in a fishing town dominated by restaurants so she had decided to help with the family business as she grew up. Her mother had told her as she was working that she had something special and that she was being sent to a place away from the village to study and develop her culinary arts, Megumi had at first not wanted to go but her mother had insisted and so she took it in her stride and vowed to repay the trust her mother had placed in her and to live up to the expectations that everyone had for her. Now she was here starting another year at Totsuki but this time it was different, when Megumi had started cooking at Totsuki she was good, not great but not bad and she had potential. The only problem seemed to be her timid nature, she was simply too nice. She allowed others to cut ahead of her to get high quality ingredients and she never really wanted to disappoint the teachers so she never took any risks and so it came to be that if Megumi got one more 'E' grade then she would be expelled from the academy her mother was working hard to send her to.

It seemed to be these thoughts and the fact that people in her classes avoided her like the plague in group projects to ensure they wouldn't be hindered by her even going so far to call her names and tell her she was worthless and she didn't deserve to even be in the same room as them. It was these thoughts and more that were swirling around her head when the blunette heard the director of the academy step forward onto the raised platform and begin to speak.

"Hello all students here today, I am the director of Totsuki Culinary Academy, Senzaemon Nakiri" His voice boomed out silencing all students who were still chatting idly. His eyes roamed the quad they had set up in resting on certain students individually as if he was seeing into them, judging them until his eyes rested on Megumi. He looked at her for a few seconds longer than others and continued to look around and speak.

"As you all know, Totsuki is a very prestigious academy and so I will now lay out the realities of studying here; 99% of you will be sacrificial stepping stones for the top 1% of your year." he let his words sink in to those listening watching as some faces dropped from realising they were the 99% and others lighting up as they believed they were the top tier chefs here. Megumi was the former. "But," he lingered on the word watching as heads snapped to attention around him to stare at the words he would say next.  
"This doesn't mean that you can't achieve your goal here at Totsuki, you must double your efforts from here on in and dedicate your next few months or even years to achieving it." As he concluded he watched a mix of trepidation on some students faced with the future and some filled with determination. " Megumi was neither, she had sweatdropped as soon as she had heard the 99% comment, as she remembered her countless failures she only caught the ending of Senzaemon's speech to the first years.

"-here is the representative of the first years and my own granddaughter Erina Nakiri" Senzaemon watched as people's heads swivelled immediately to watch as the God's Palate walked on stage in the schools uniform. They had all heard about the great Erina Nakiri and were vying to grab her attention as she ascended to the platform from the staging tent. Megumi couldn't help but notice that despite the heat Erina still looked flawless as if the heat was nothing to her, there was no sweat, no red flushed present on her face, she was completely serene and composed. Her long flowing hair almost seemed to give her an air like quality to her steps as if she seemed to good to step on the ground truly she was a princess in a time where there were no knights. In fact the only thing that was out of the ordinary was the ever present wristband Erina wore on her right hand. It was weird to see it on her as the rest of her uniform screamed regulations and adherence to the rules.

Being shaken out of her ruminations Megumi heard her speak "Thank you all for being here today and I can't wait to see the talent this year brings forth and whether or not it will be satisfactory" The top contender then stepped back and nodded to her grandfather before walking off towards the tent she had come out of. She seemed to almost jump when a boy with flaming red hair walked out of the tent as if she had not expected him to be there at all. Megumi watched as she brushed past him with a gracefulness that could be seen as indifference if not for the way she seemed to not so subtly trail her fingers along the tips of his as she passed him. The boy in turn winked at her and grinned ever so slightly so as to try to down play his emotions that seemed to Megumi be in full bloom. This all lasted just a second but to Megumi it lasted for an eternity, she saw something in their eyes as they looked in each other that made her heart stop, they looked so full of passion and understanding that Megumi almost was floored by the fact that Erina Nakiri was able to even have emotions apart from haughty indifference and a lack of empathy. It was a far cry from the woman she had been onstage who seemed to stand above all of her fellow peers now she seemed almost human.

"Now for the only one to pass the entrance exam, Soma Yukihira" she heard Senzaemon state with an odd tinge of excitement.

'ah so that's his name' Megumi thought to herself as she watched as Erina walked in to the tent letting the flap fall behind her as Soma ascended the stairs to the platform. She watched him with a fierce expression, this guy was something else, he walked as if he was one and the same as everyone else but his eyes told a different story, they were inflamed with passion presumably at the prospect of meeting the director Megumi thought glumly to herself. He had short red hair that covered the front of his face but on the left side of his face he had a scar quite visible and it seemed that it was quite deep meaning that he had been injured quite badly in the past. Although he had the scar it didn't make him un appeasing to look at as Megumi had thought but rather added to his rugged handsomeness. He had defined muscles underneath a black t-shirt and strong legs that seemed to propel him every time he put them down. The most striking aspects of him apart from his golden eyes were the two accessories on his arms.

He had a white cloth tied tightly around his left forearm that pressed against his wrist and on his right wrist she saw something quite strange, it was the same colour and almost seemed to be identical in shape to the wristband that Erina had been wearing as well. It was so odd to see two people so different in attitudes share something like that.

"Hello everyone" he started saying "I've never done a speech before so I'll make it short" Megumi watched him closely to see what he could possibly say to make a difference to everyone's opinion on him. " I have a goal and I will achieve it, all this academy is, is a stepping stone for me to achieve that goal, I will be the best in our year and I won't lose to people who have never served customers one day of their lives". he concluded as he stepped away from the dais and bowed to Senzaemon before walking back to the tent he had come from.

Megumi couldn't believe her ears, he had basically made 1000 enemies there today by saying those words thus condemning himself to a hard life, she felt the temperature of those around her increase as their blood boilt from his words. Nearly all of the students present watched him with a dangerous glint in their eyes as he walked off stage vowing to beat this guy and make him admit he wasn't the best. There were those who saw what he had said and took it to heart, they saw the challenge in his eyes not the malice in his voice, these were the ones who would stand out from the rest and surprisingly Megumi was one of them too. She saw his eyes as they watched the various reactions of those present and knew that he was something special, this boy nay this man truly believed he would become the best but he also had the air of confidence barely anyone had as a chef. She knew then that he would make a name for himself.

* * *

"That was certainly an interesting way to make yourself known" Erina stated as Soma re-entered the tent they had occupied before making their short speeches. Her eyes bore into Soma trying to figure out why he had said it that way, he could've stated it like she did by not immediately alienating himself from the rest of their year. She was quite angry as well that he hadn't even consulted her before hand about what he was planning to say, it would've been good if she could have changed it slightly so he could at least have a good life here and some friends like she wanted.

"I wanted to let them know I meant business, plus I needed to see who the top contenders were" Soma replied as he bent down and grabbed a water from the fridge that was in the tent. Although it didn't look it he was baking out there in the sun and he needed some refreshment; as he did so he grabbed a second one and threw to Erina who caught it easily unscrewing the cap and taking a deep gulp of the water. "anyway" Soma continued after downing his first sip "I'll need to be number one eventually to fulfil a certain promise" he added while turning to face Erina face on.

Erina laughed and shook her head slightly "That means you'll have to beat me you realise?" she shot back whilst flipping her hair over her shoulder in her way of ascertaining her position as 'head honcho' (at least for the time being) " I'm the top contender here at Totsuki or were you too busy practicing your lines to hear my grandfather say that little piece of knowledge" she added looking down at him from her upturned face with an amused expression on her face.

"Hey now, we both know you like my cooking so don't pretend you don't, I can make you say that you love it whenever I want!" he exclaimed squaring up to her and forcing her to look at him as an equal.

"Technically I've never said that I enjoy your way of cooking plus there's no way the God Palate would be sated by that egg dish" Erina replied getting even closer to Soma as her ire raised. " I am the one who will say whether or not I like your cooking, do not presume to know my likes." She harrumphed and turned away slightly crossing her arms over her breasts and raising an eyebrow when Soma leaned into her his eyes forcing into her as if he wanted to see into her soul, which isn't too far from what he was actually trying to do. He leaned in closer and closer until eventually he was leaning over Erina gazing as intensely as he could do into her eyes. Erina's heart started thumping out of her chest as their foreheads touched letting their red and blonde hair mix in a cacophony of colours. Their hair entwined and their skin touching Erina couldn't think straight until she closed her eyes and started to breathe. Feeling his hot breath on her cheek didn't help matters though and soon her head swam with confusion.

'what they hell is he doing' Erina's mind screamed at her 'tell him to back up' Erina tried to form the words but as she was gathering the courage to do so her mind brought up memories of the entrance exam and the words died on her lips as she opened her eyes, she saw his lips as he breathed in and out his warm and surprisingly tasty breath blowing on her face and her mouth watered, her breath too gained rhythm until the young couple were so perfectly in sync that neither Soma nor Erina were able to tell where they began and where they ended. Soma's eyes had gained a mischievous smirk as he started angling his face until they were staring into each other's eyes the vast golden swirls of joy mixing with the longing of her violet ones. Soma leaned in and... turned his head and kissed her on the cheek before leaning back and winking slyly at the now flustered and angry young woman.

"wha.." the words stumbled out of her lips as the colour returned to her cheeks and her heart started slowing down until she could safely say that she had a grip on her emotions. Her face slowly returning to the normal way it was she looked at Soma about to launch into a tirade for whatever he had just done to her until he interrupted her.

"I know that you liked our reunion" He stared at her almost glowing with pride and maybe a slight added extra of something she couldn't quite place. " I also know that you like my egg dish I made" he continued on thus silencing her protests " I also know I really liked our reunion too". Soma then stopped and looked at her again and he could a little grin appear on her face before being crushed by her inner personality.

"ha, you think I enjoyed that?" Erina asked quite brazenly and raising her voice to cover the fact that her mind was off in fairy-tale land. "If that was what you call something I like, I can't imagine what is something I wouldn't like." Erina finished quite triumphantly before her mischievous side also caught on to the fact Soma was teasing her. She decided to get her own back. " Anyway, it's not like that will ever happen again." "I'm an upstanding member of the Nakiri household and I will not just let anyone take my first kiss.." Erina took a breath letting the look of disgust fall from her façade "... and not take me out on a proper date" she finished by leaning in and whispering in Soma's ear before moving away and flicking her hair. Soma felt the air where she had just occupied and could almost smell the perfume she had on, it was strangely familiar to him and he couldn't quite place it especially as his mind was on other things. He looked at her again and saw that she was teasing him back. For some reason this made him really happy.

"Fine then" Soma said quietly forcing her to listen harder. " I'll take you out and we'll see just how long you can keep this charade up!" Erina turned around nodding her head and left the tent leaving behind a very red haired boy and a very fast heart. She knew that what they had done in the entrance exam was very bad and that it was highly inappropriate, she knew that no Nakiri would ever had let Soma in on that dish despite the warmth and explosions it caused her in her mind and soul. She knew for a fact that she hadn't seen him for a long time and she knew that she had a reputation to uphold but... she also knew that she didn't care. When she was with him the reasons she always imposed on herself just disappeared like snow on a hot summer's day, he hadn't changed a bit although now he was a lot more grown up and it was obvious he had increased his culinary skills since she had last seen him. ' yes, a date would be best' Erina thought as she thought on these things. 'maybe we can learn more about each other.' Although their connection couldn't be denied and the depth of their emotions were plain as day she still barely knew the boy and he barely knew her. She walked quickly through the place where the entrance ceremony was being held and saw it had mostly emptied presumably because they all were busy students and the speeches that day had possibly galvanized them out of inaction. She did note however that there was a blue haired girl sitting at the far corner of the grass on a chair that had yet to be put away. 'another stepping stone I guess' Erina whispered to herself not giving the blunette another thought as she walked home.

* * *

"So, Polar Stars Dormitories then". Soma had arrived after the entrance ceremony to the dorms in order to look around and see if he could stay there, he was hoping to settle in quickly and also ask some people where good places nearby were so he could prepare properly to find a place for him to invite Erina out. He had arrived to find not at all what he expected.

The sheer size of the academy was mind-boggling and so he presumed that it was a rich and booming academy but seeing the dorms where he might be living for the next few years he was let down to say the least. The gates to enter the grounds were broken the moon light casting a very morose setting on the area and the impressions of the wind forced the rusting bolts to creak ominously. It was very surprising to see that people lived here especially considering that most students at Totsuki seemed to be from very upper class families with an abundance of wealth and power at their disposal. So to see this place was very strange Soma thought. He moved the side of the gate aside as he entered the grounds making sure to not too much noise so as to distract or call attention to his presence. Upon entering though he now could see the dorm better this time without the oak trees' branches covering the place. He saw a place that could have only come from a book on murder sites. The windows were hanging haphazardly open and the paint was thinning on the outside. The walls were decrepit and all in all the dorm looked downright diminutive compared to the other places Soma had seen as he walked down the astonishingly long road he had to take to get here in the first place. The Dorms were undoubtedly for the people who either were too weird to have in normal housing or for those he simply didn't care where they were as long as they were able to attend. All in all Soma was very wary as he opened the front door to this 'house of horrors' flinching as the door creaked with reckless abandon and his first step inside cause the wooden floorboards of the dorms to scream in protest.

Soma stepped inside the Dormitory to see that the inside was completely different to what he had imagined it would be, the outside looked like it was made for the followers of a dangerous cult whilst the inside was surprisingly cheery, the chandelier casting a warm glow on it's surroundings. He saw that there were some couched placed n the foyer and that the paint inside was a very nice and warm red tint to an otherwise bland front of the dorms. The dual staircase was very well looked after as Soma could not see a speck of dust anywhere nearby them and the steps were obviously wiped down daily. Letting these things amaze Soma he started to hear a rather loud racket approaching him from the left side of the front room and as he turned to see what the hell was making these noises he saw some a peculiar site in front of him. There were two very large onyx eyes staring at him and he was very worried for a second that he had awakened some evil spirit until he saw it was an ostrich looking down at him, he gazed around the beast to see an even weirder site approach him. There were loads of animals running away from something, there were chickens, gooses rabbits and even a few turtles running very quickly towards him. He jumped out of the way into side of the wall as they rampaged across his sight leaving him wondering what could instil such fear in so many animals and inside a dormitory especially.

In answer to is question Soma saw a girl sprinting forwards towards the animals with a look of anger etched onto her face. 'They were quite right to run' Soma thought to himself as the girl in question ran past him not even noticing his presence, as she did so Soma only could glimpse some a very exasperated expression her face and her orange locks as she turned the corner to catch up to what he assumed were her pets.

Coming back to reality Soma started walking up the stairs until he heard someone cough from behind him. Turning around he saw a woman standing there with her hands on her hips and a ladle in on of them. Soma acknowledged her by waving and was about to say hello until she caught him mid-sentence.

"Who said you could enter Polar Star Dormitories?" the diminutive and ancient woman enquired " I am Fumio Daimido and I look after the kids here. Who are you?"

"I am Soma Yukihira and I was told that I would be bunking here." He replied wondering why she looked so familiar as if he had seen her somewhere before.

"Not until you pass my test you won't be" Fumio countered "Let's see the ingredients you brought for it then." She looked questioningly at Soma as he looked somewhat confused until realizing that he was being expected to answer. He couldn't for the life of him remember anyone saying anything about another test and he started to worry. He didn't want to start off on the wrong foot but she was being very obtuse for no reasons to him. " I didn't bring any ingredients with me today so why don't you just let me go and get some tomorrow?" he asked letting his eyes flash dangerously to her. She seemed to completely unaffected by his attempt at intimidation.

"Nope, no exceptions, all students here at Polar Star have all done the test and you will also do so." She pointed towards the door saying " You'll have to sleep outside today, also throw out the leftovers while you're at it". Fumio turned around to go to bed but was stopped when the red haired boy responded.

"Can I just use the leftovers for the dish then?" He enquired hopefully. " What? You can't possibly imagine that I would accept someone who used just leftovers in their meal?" She asked back but for some reason still didn't say no. The red haired man reminded her of someone long ago, he looked very similar also to a boy she had seen once before. This wasn't the time to think of that time however as the boy had walked into the kitchen after looking through some of the rooms.

Soma was very surprised to see that the kitchen was very high class pretty much the direct opposite of the rest of the place he had arrived at, there were state of the art ovens, bowls and even a utensil shelf to rival his father's at home in the diner. He glanced around drinking in the rest of the place including the smell and taste that seemed to linger in the air. He could smell the sweet aromas of chefs trying their hardest, the pungent smell of hard work and the overwhelming stench of powerful spices that inhabited the very fibre of the kitchen. He tasted the power of the chefs in his mouth and he knew for a fact that at least on the chefs who lived here would be very fun to face off against. He searched the kitchen until he found an assortment of ingredients and had his list, he set these down on the countertop and started to remember all the dishes he had made until he found two and combined them. He knew what he had to make then and he also knew that this wold lady would undoubtedly like it.

Fumio had been sitting down watching the young man work and she was transfixed, the boy knew where everything was without even double checking and he almost seemed to be at one with the kitchen. She looked more intently as he flew around the kitchen grabbing pots and pans until he removed the white cloth attached to his left forearm and wrapped it around his head. He also had a wristband that seemed to be part of his body considering the importance he took in ensuring it was clean as he was picking up the materials he would need. As Soma was working she started remembering a party she had attended some time ago, the last time she had been truly amazed and surprised by a chef who held the same passion as she did when she cooked, she remembered a very young 6 year old boy who seemed to take up an entire kitchen with his oppressive aura and his mesmerising skills. She gasped as she knew for a fact who the boy nay the man who was whizzing about the kitchen with such absolute control and determination and she saw the wristband again. Fumio couldn't believe it. The boy with the red hair who saved a girl with his cooking was now grown up, he had the same red hair and he had a scar that still hadn't healed on his face and she couldn't believe she hadn't realized it until now. This was The God's Palate's one and only. Fumio had never spoken about that day as she had been sworn to secrecy by the boy's father Joichiro, she still had no idea why he had told her not to tell anyone about that day, if the boy had been her son she would have 'lion kinged' him and shown off his natural skills to the world entire. Fumio watched him and couldn't decide if she was happier when he stopped cooking and approached her or if she just wanted him to continue working in the kitchen letting his easy cooking and his latent skills dazzle her for just a few more seconds. She shook her head though as he approached her and set down a burger in front of her.

'what the hell,' Fumio thought to herself 'we didn't have any meat, what the hell did he make for me' she wondered as she had been watching him she had evidently missed some crucial part of his cooking that would have told her what exactly he had done for her. Here in front of her was a dish that shouldn't have been made as it was not possible at all. She looked down at it and brought her breathing under control and tasted it. Immediately she was thrown back to her youth.

It was one of the best moments of her romantic life. She had just gotten out of the sea with the boy she liked, her long brunette hair rested on her chest covering her most delicate area which would have been otherwise shown off as the white shirt she had worn had become transparent. She batted her eyelashes and her eyes was overcome with a mirth of lust. She listened to the boy next to here who was leaning very confidently against the back of the shed in his underwear. She looked down at herself and saw that her breasts were very seductively perky and her stomach was glistening as the water was traipsing along her body. She turned to the boy next to her and looked at him with the sexiest smoulder she could muster whilst pushing her breast out in front of her. She leaned forward giving the boy a very direct look down the front of her shirt not that it mattered anyway the shirt was basically non-existent at that point. She looked at him and him at her and their eyes mixed with a look of passion. He saw a very attractive young lady offering her sexy body to him and she saw a very handsome young man trying his best not to spring forth his passion. She leaned in to him and as they got close to each other her heart started beating faster and faster until she was so engrossed in the moment she didn't even notice her hair had shifted thus revealing her chest in all it's double C glory. her nipples had hardened at the prospect of what the two youngsters might be doing in the future moments and then as their lips were about to touch she was rushed back to reality.

The burger was incredible! It had a majestic taste to it as of the gods themselves had visited the kitchen as Soma had worked on it and graced them with their culinary prowess. This wasn't something anyone could just whip up. This was truly a work of art and her heart beat from the memory of her first time and the taste of the food on her lips. She tried the egg soup that had accompanied it and gasped as she tasted the dashi he had made using squid. She looked at the boy in wonder and knew that he was good, good enough to stay there and if he did that with just leftovers she was excited to see just what exactly he could make using his own recipes. Fumio got up and made to hug him as tight as she could. She wanted his embrace and as she approached the young man as he put the white cloth back on she saw his eyes widen in surprise, he moved back but was unneeded as she got control of herself she promptly took a big gulp of air and quieted her beating heart.

"What was that?" Fumio asked staring at the young man, as his golden eyes danced with pride and self-satisfaction. "That was **Improvised Mackerel Burger Meal** " Soma replied gesturing his arms at the burger and egg soup combo. Fumio's eyes widened and she took another look at the meal. It glistened with juice and she started salivating as she saw the little mackerel bits that were in the 'meat' patty.

"You've passed young man" Fumio said pointing to the upstairs " Go to a room and sleep, you've earned it" she added very quietly. Soma agreed and as he left the kitchen he bumped into a blunette who had been watching silently from outside the room.

Megumi had been amazed at the young man that was working in the kitchen as if he was born there. He looked to be a god of the culinary arts always knowing exactly when something was done or adding the exact amount of spices needed and exactly where inside whatever her had been making. She was transfixed and her pulse skyrocketed as her beat faster when he smiled. He had grinned halfway through when the wristband he was wearing had floated in front of his face as he was mixing the ingredients, he looked almost unbelievably happy and she almost was floored by the look of hunger plastered on his face for the duration of his cooking. She was reminded then of the identical wristband the 'God's Palate' had worn at the entrance ceremony and her mind was controlled by the idea and wild fantasies she was conjuring up of the Nakiri princess and this red haired maestro. She felt a flare of jealousy that was quickly doused by her rational mind. The man in front of her finished and was presenting his dish to Fumio. She winced inwardly as she remembered her many failed attempts at the exam, she knew that she had to make sure this boy had passed before leaving to go back to her room and take a bath. She looked intently at the dorm mother's face and saw a look of utter satisfaction on her face. She watched as Fumio almost seemed to jump back in surprise when she came out whatever food-powered orgasm this burger had made her have, Fumio then got up and seemed to want to do something to the boy known as Soma before getting back in control and stopping herself.

She heard Fumio say something and before Megumi could react the door was pulled open and Soma bumped into her. She looked up into his golden gilded eyes and his scarlet red hair and her heart beat just a little faster. His face was very attractive and his lips had an undeniable sheen to them that looked as if they made their own saliva inside them. He looked at her and she suddenly remembered that she was in the way of him and as she looked down to move herself away from his body she felt her breasts pushed up against his body and her legs entwined with his, she pondered why until she felt a pressure on her back and knew she had almost fallen over until Soma had wrapped his arm around her making her press very suggestively into his body. She looked again into his eyes and only saw concern in them, she couldn't say why exactly but she felt saddened by this. Quickly extracting herself from him she started to talk,

"Welcome to Polar Star Dormitories!" Megumi shouted to him wincing as her voice had gained a little lift to it. " My name's Megumi Tadakoro!" she moved her hand forward gasping slightly as she felt his hand wrap around hers and shake it. She felt the countless blisters on them and scars that lined the back of his hand as she smelt his scent wafting from where he was standing. It was very exciting and she felt like he was a firecracker ready to pop open and shower her with his presence.

"Hi, I'm Soma Yukihira" he replied cheerfully "How are, you? sorry for bumping into you". He enquired after her health and she just shook her head.

"no, no don't apologize I was in the way, plus it's my fault" Megumi squashed his objections buy removing her hand and holding it up In front of her. He looked at her warily as he took her in for the first time.

Soma looked very closely at the blunette as he took her in, her quick to apologize nature and her almost instanseous removal of guilt from the other party led his mind to think that she was perhaps a little too nice something he would have to change. She was slightly smaller than him but she was in all meaning of the word, homely. She smiled easily and her face lit up with enjoyment, her eyes took in all around her as she looked for the best way to help out. They shined with azure pupils and her wide eyed look gave Soma the impression of a beautiful nurse. Her blue hair surrounded her face giving an almost picture perfect representation of someone who was ready for anything but her eyes betrayed that notion, they instead had a look of care and concern etched into them, something that made her look all in all like a force to be reckoned with if she got going. Her lips parted slightly to give Soma to see the insides if her mouth and he saw the red organ sit there almost begging to be tasted and begging to be fed incredible spices. Her small dainty nose showed off her face and finalised her look of innocence and wonder. Her body was anything but innocent however, her breasts pushed up against the uniform showing off her curves. Her stomach seemed to be able support the huge mounds on her chest and her shapely rear but still maintained the sleek style you would see in magazines and models. Her legs were curved inwardly and she looked almost like she was prepped for someone to show her some compassion so she could be happy. This was someone who had been almost bullied everyday in her life and was still here, still fighting and still maintaining her nice moral compass. Soma knew she needed help and so he did something he wouldn't usually do, he opened his bag and gave her his Yukihira special sauce. Something he had been planning to keep until he needed it but she seemed to need it now. It was a small red glass container but inside held something that would make the recipient almost fall asleep instantly, it was great for relieving stress and by god did she seem to need it.

"Thanks but I couldn't" Megumi started to reject Soma's gift before he interrupted her by turning around and walking upstairs as he shouted. "You're a good person, but you need to allow some people to take care of you" He said as he got to the top of the stairs. " See you tomorrow in class he shouted downstairs". Megumi couldn't process what he had said but she felt the sentiment behind it and it warmed her up. Rare was the moment anyone showed Megumi any type of compassion and so this was extra special for her. 'wait...what did he mean tomorrow' her mind raced and she quickly remembered that she needed to get ready for school tomorrow, probably the last day she would spend at Totsuki. Basically forgetting for the moment about Soma she raced to her room and quickly changed into a bathrobe and made her way into the bath.

Soma Yukihira however was looking for a room her could use and as he walked down the hallway he heard voices inside a room that had a sign on it " Zenju Marui's room". He opened it and was greeted by a bunch of people sitting around and some drinking Saki while conversing with each other. He looked around and saw two boys fighting in the corner of the room bumping into the bookshelf were a smaller boy was hastily catching the books that were falling and trying to usher them out of the room. He looked and saw another older male student in an apron and nothing else talking with a girl Soma's age who had orange hair and a chicken on her lap. She looked like the same girl who had been running around downstairs chasing the animals earlier but he couldn't be sure. He then saw a boy and a girl talking one with hair covering his eyes and smoke escaping his pockets and the girl with long flowing red hair and a Saki bottle in her hand, it looked homemade but Soma couldn't be sure.

"Hello? I'm Soma Yukihira newest member of Polar Star Dormitories" Soma introduced himself and everyone was suddenly given notice of his appearance at the front door. The red haired girl stood up and introduced herself and the rest of the room's occupants. " I'm Ryoko Sakaki, this is Shun Ibusaki" she said pointing at the boy with the hair covering his face "those two are Shoji Sato and Daigo Aoki" she gestured to the two still fighting over who had the best index finger. " the one trying to stop them is Zenju Marui" pointing now at the boy with the glasses " this is Yuki Yoshino" the one with the chicken " and this is Satoshi Isshiki". she concluded by outreaching her hand to put a cup in my hand a proceeding to fill it with the Saki in the bottle she carried. Soma was very surprised to see how quick she was to trust and was also amazed at her easy-going nature. As she poured the Saki Soma saw her red hair uncover her eyes that were as red as her hair, she looked very pretty Soma thought 'but not for me'. She gave him a smile before moving away from the boy who she had been talking to earlier 'Shun Ibusaki' Soma thought to himself as he looked at the boy. His dulled brown hair covered his eyes but Soma could see his pockets which were still smoking for some reason. The smoke covered the ground where Ryoko was and he saw that girl had returned to her seat after refilling some other people's cups setting her alluring body on the ground making the smoke trail up her curves accentuating her large breasts and her almost hourglass figure. Once again Soma was very impressed by her easy gracefulness but once again was not attracted that way.

"Hello Soma" The older student got up and closed the gap between them quickly before shaking Soma's hand. " Pleasure to meet you" he smiled widely and Soma remembered his name, Satoshi Isshiki. He was taller than Soma and his muted orange hair had gaps in which showed off his strikingly blue eyes off. He had only an apron on and this Soma could see his very tight body, like someone who was used to having to sit upright and be courteous at all times, Soma wondered at the older student before having his attention grabbed by the two guys yelling at the smaller one with the glasses. Zenju Marui looked very tired and not at all happy as his black hair was frazzled as he yelled back at the two taller same-years. Shoji and Daigo were both strong looking, like they were the epitome of pure physical strength. Shoji had dirty blonde hair that was slicked back to show off his ears whilst Daigo had black hair that was quaffed up like an Elvis impersonator. Finally he looked at Yuki Yoshino and saw that she was indeed the girl who had the practical zoo running around earlier downstairs. All in all the people who occupied the Polar Star Dormitories looked very interesting to say the least.

"So, what things did you bring to the exam the Soma?" Isshiki enquired. "Oh, that, I had no idea that it was even something we had to do so I just winged it and used the leftovers in the kitchen." Soma replied while sitting yawning as today had been especially long for Soma. Every pair of eyes then stopped what they were doing and looked at the very carefree chef who 'just whipped something up' and impressed a dorm mother renowned for her tough prerequisites. They all remembered her tough judgments and especially remembered the nights they spent in the cold outside. "You're the guy from the entrance ceremony right" Isshiki said after looking at Soma for a little longer than he usually would. He saw the same fiery personality he had seen on stage and he felt the hands of fate revolve around the young man. He knew that this Soma Yukihira would definitely change the cooking school somehow in the coming years. " yeah and I will be number one, I have a promise I need to live up to." Soma looked the senior in the eye and Isshiki felt Goosebumps appear on his skin. He locked eyes and allowed Soma the privilege of seeing his serious face which Soma accepted with a slight dip in his head a cheering on his disposition. "Well, that is certainly ambitious" Ryoko interrupted the two young man hoping to stop a Shokugeki. " I can't wait to see your cooking Soma" she added with a wink. "yeah me too" Yuki added in " you've got some pretty big shoes to fill if you're gonna try to do that properly". Shoji and Daigo were still fighting but they both stopped for second and nodded ever so slightly at Soma to show that they heard his ambition. Zenju just stared unperceptively at Soma judging if the man would be able to do what he proclaimed and he honestly couldn't tell. Finally, Soma nodded and brought out a dish from his bag adding to everyone that they could try some right now.

Immediately everyone sat up as Soma fumbled around in his bag, even Shoji and Daigo sat down and waited for Soma's dish still glaring at each other through the sides of their eyes flexing their index fingers. As Soma rummaged inside his bag Ryoko spotted the wristband and she couldn't help but recall the Nakiri Princess also having one adorning her wrist as well. "hey what's that on your wrist?" Ryoko asked gesturing to his right arm so Soma wouldn't start talking about the white cloth. "oh, that" Soma shouted over his shoulder as he continued looking through his bag " that, is my promise to someone very special to me" Soma stopped for a second as he recalled a blonde beauty with a buxom figure in his mind " A very amazing someone indeed" he added with admiration in his throat and a sparkle in his eye. "ooooooooo, like a girlfriend" Yuki chimed in. " yes, something like that" Soma replied immediately, maybe a little too quick as everyone stiffened slightly and was amazed at his straightforward approach. Soma finally turned around and as he did so a very distinct smell pervaded the room too. The smell of something utterly disgusting invaded their senses and it took them a second to see that the smell was coming in waves from the dish in Soma's hands. Even Ibusaki made a move to the door hoping to escape the dish but Soma was still standing in front of it barricading everyone in. "Ah, a volunteer" Soma misunderstood Shun's attempt to get clear as a movement for the food. That was the first day Shun Ibusaki ever wished that he had never gone to Totsuki Academy and for the next few years it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

"Fu Fu Fu" someone snickered as they made their way into their cousin's part of the mansion. Her mother visited her earlier that day to tell Alice Nakiri about a young man who was someone to watch. Her red eyes alighted onto the door of her Cousin's bedroom and she made her way to it, raising her hand to knock as she did so. Upon opening it she saw something she never thought possible. Erina Nakiri was pacing her room back and forth, her usually stoic demeanour was overcome by worry and nervousness and was only broken when Alice entered. She had originally come to see Erina to see what she knew about the red haired 'Soma Yukihira' as her mother had said Erina had a special connection with the boy but was reluctant to go any further into any detail.

"Erina?" Alice asked searchingly as Erina noticed Alice standing on the inside of her door. " what has you so worked up?" she asked sweetly but not fooling Erina for a second.

"Wouldn't you like to know " Erina replied idly playing with the ever present wristband Alice always seemed to see Erina wearing on her right arm. It was red and gold and had an inscription that was too dark to see in the light. She had always seen it but never really asked Erina about it or thought it was of any consequence but seeing her now, it obviously was the source of her apprehension. "Does it have to do with that wristband" Alice asked closing the distance between the two cousins. Erina swung around letting her nightie flow almost effortlessly as well, Erina looked like she was about to deny it until she seemed to quickly think about her cousin for a second. " Yes, it does" Erina responded but held up a hand to stop the inevitable onslaught of question that were almost out of her cousin's mouth. "I am worried that he might have changed". She added quietly to let Alice know this was going to be one of their conversations that had deep emotion to them. To the casual observer and even some attentive ones the two Nakiri princesses of Totsuki were always at each others throats, Alice teasing Erina uncontrollably and Erina lording her God's Palate over Alice but little did most people know that the two cousins shared very deep emotional talks whenever they were feeling down. So far there had only been two conversations between the two girls, one when they were very little where Erina needed emotional support because of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father and one where Alice expressed her jealously of Erina. Both had ended with both of them in tears and a deepening of the connection between them as well. This time however didn't seem too important so Alice was very surprised to hear it was over a boy, something Alice thought Erina barely took notice of. "I met him again" Erina started and Alice tried to think who she was talking about. " You never knew, but my father never left because our grandfather made him leave" Erina informed her cousin and Alice was extremely interested as to why he had left then.

" When I was six I met a boy who had fire in his eyes and a passion that ignited my feelings." Alice nodded remembering their first talk when they were six and Erina had come to Alice crying profusely. " I have only talked to him three times now and once was way back." Erina faced her cousin now looking into her blood red eyes to see a compassionate understanding flash across her violet ones. "I was very emotionless but this boy knew, he knew what to do to make me feel again." Erina sat down on her bed and Alice came to join her. " I fell in love with him then and when I saw him the second time when he was entering the academy we made out" she shuddered in pleasure as she remembered the way they had come together at the time and the longing she had felt quenched then. " The third was earlier today when he joined us here" Alice immediately remembered the only boy who had made it into the academy. He had been very alluring to Alice and she had remembered taking a mental note to talk to him as soon as possible even without her mother's nudgings. Now though she crushed that as she was reminded of the wristband her wore on his right hand as well. It had been red and gold and had an inscription on it as well but Alice hadn't been able to read it at the time.

"so how did he free you from your father then" Alice asked her cousin failing to see how a young six year old boy could ignite a flame in Erina and make her fall in love with him whilst forcing a grown man who was obsessed with his daughter's success stop seeing her indefinitely.

"he won a Shokugeki" Erina replied staring at her cousin letting her know she wasn't kidding because she knew she wouldn't believe her. Alice was about to snort until she saw the look in her cousin's eyes and was amazed that she was telling the truth.

"I can barely remember what happened that day save that there were seven people there and that he was like a demon when he was cooking. I remember watching him with the look of utter concentration on his face and the passion almost burning him up. It was incredible and he won" Erina looked into space before coming back to herself and looking back at her cousin intently. " I don't want to rush our relationship but I needed him the day he arrived and we met again." Alice nodded slightly still trying to come to terms with the depth of emptions Erina was holding. " I want him so bad and I can feel he wants it to but I'm afraid he's changed over the years somehow, I know I have..."

Alice stared at her cousin and silently made sure to look up everything about the night her cousin kept referring to, she thought that since her cousin had been there she must have been too but she couldn't remember the day at all. She wanted to know who this boy was and see how much he cared for her cousin before weighing either side so she said to Erina " be careful Erina, I'm sure you guys just need to talk but make absolute certain that this is what you want, I don't want to see you get hurt." Alice said the only think she could think of. " I'll look up everything about this guy and find out what's been going on in his life" a devious look crossed her face before she felt two mounds of flesh press against hers. She felt her cousin press against her wrapping her arms around Alice's neck. " Thanks Alice" Erina looked into Alice's face before she continued "I needed to tell someone else apart from Hisako, this Is a family matter" Erina released her cousin and pointed to the door. " now get out " Erina said assuming the guise she had perfected over the years and Alice laughed as she saw the very clear attempt of Erina tying to say she was angry at Alice, Erina cracked a smile at hearing Alice's jovial laugh, she loved hearing it but life being the way it was it was rare. Alice got up and was about to leave before leaning back around the corner of Erina's door shouting "I'll see what he's packing" Alice quickly dodged the slipper she knew Erina was going to throw. "arghhhh" Alice heard Erina's growl from the bedroom.

"Fu Fu Fu " Alice snickered to herself as she started to plan out the next few days to allow time off Erina's schedule so she could see this boy. Also she made sure to remember who might've been at that party and she knew who she needed to ask almost immediately. Her phone coming from her pocket Alice called a contact in her address book.

"Hello Mother" Alice rang out "We need to talk".

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I know I left out the bit where Soma and Megumi go to the cooking class where he makes the teacher smile but I thought it would be better to add that in after the Polar Star Dormitories. Also please tell me if I messed up any names or stuff as I was using my knowledge and I am not infallible. Also, I have tried to make it so the relationship between Erina and Soma has slowed down a bit so they can get to know each other better. Also thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!**


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